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World J Psychiatr. Dec 22, 2013; 3(4): 103-106
Published online Dec 22, 2013. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v3.i4.103
Published online Dec 22, 2013. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v3.i4.103
Dissociative disorder presenting as foreign accent syndrome
Nikita Rajpal, Subho Chakrabarti, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India
Author contributions: Both Rajpal N and Chakrabarti S were involved in the assessment and management of this patient and writing up this case report.
Correspondence to: Subho Chakrabarti, MD, MAMS, FRCPsych, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Sector 12, Chandigarh 160012, India. subhochd@yahoo.com
Telephone: +91-172-2756808 Fax: +91-172-2744401
Received: August 23, 2012
Revised: October 2, 2013
Accepted: November 15, 2013
Published online: December 22, 2013
Processing time: 141 Days and 8.1 Hours
Revised: October 2, 2013
Accepted: November 15, 2013
Published online: December 22, 2013
Processing time: 141 Days and 8.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: The foreign accent syndrome (FAS) is a rare speech disorder, characterised by the appearance of a new accent, different from the speaker’s native language and perceived as foreign by others. In the majority of patients, FAS is secondary to focal brain damage, but infrequently, it has been reported in association with psychiatric disorders, including dissociative or conversion disorders. The case of a young woman with FAS is described here, which shows that in rare instances dissociative disorder may be implicated in the genesis of the FAS. The aetiology of FAS is complex, and both biological and psychosocial factors could play a role in its onset.